


Star Power

by Impala_Chick



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Band Fic, Bittersweet Ending, Canon Era, Concerts, First Kiss, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, POV Reggie Peters, Pre-Canon, Reggie Peters Needs a Hug (Julie and The Phantoms), Road Trips, Soft Reggie Peters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:14:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28145937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Chick/pseuds/Impala_Chick
Summary: Reggie doesn’t shy away from Luke’s gaze. “Yeah, we had to pay our dues, right?”He’s talking about Sunset Curve, and how every band has to get their start somewhere. But he’s also talking about him and Luke, and how they learned a lot about each other during the summer of 1994.Wherein Julie and the Phantoms head to a gig in San Diego, and Reggie reminisces about Sunset Curve's first summer tour.
Relationships: Luke Patterson/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 54
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	Star Power

**Author's Note:**

  * For [finkpishnets](https://archiveofourown.org/users/finkpishnets/gifts).



> I started watching this show because of your Yuletide letter! And it was exactly what I needed this year :) 
> 
> Thank you to htbthomas for the beta!

When Flynn books them an actual gig at the House of Blues in San Diego, everyone is beyond excited. Ray pays for the hotel rooms and volunteers to drive. The day of the show is a flurry of activity while Julie, Flynn, and Ray pack the car. Reggie, Luke, and Alex mostly try to stay out of everyone’s way. 

“Tia just picked up Carlos, so we're ready to roll. I’ll just go lock the door.” Ray runs back up the path to the house, and Julie and Flynn go give the garage once last walk-through to make sure they didn't forget anything.

Reggie notices a suitcase that's been left by the car, so he concentrates enough to grab it by the handle. Luke walks up behind him and puts a hand on the small of his back before reaching for the other end of it. They both pick up one end and lift it into the car, and then when Reggie reaches for the trunk to close it, Luke does too. His fingers are cool against Reggie’s skin. Now that there's no blood pumping through his veins, his touch isn't warm like it used to be, but the contact still makes Reggie shiver. Reggie bites his lip and pulls his hand away to let Luke do the honors, not wanting to linger like some love-struck idiot.

“A booked gig? An actual hotel room in San Diego?” Luke says wistfully. “It’s hard to believe this is our life now.”

Reggie turns around to see Alex with his hand on his hip, laughing a little. “I will admit this already beats the first time we toured. You remember? We basically drove around aimlessly and slept in Reggie’s mom’s van all summer.”

“I mean, it wasn’t _that_ bad,” Luke says as he glances over at Reggie.

Reggie doesn’t shy away from Luke’s gaze. “Yeah, we had to pay our dues, right?” 

He’s talking about Sunset Curve, and how every band has to get their start somewhere. But he’s also talking about him and Luke, and how they learned a lot about each other during the summer of 1994.

Reggie isn’t sure where they stand now that they are incorporeal. He hasn’t asked. He doesn’t want to mess up this great thing Luke’s got going with Julie.

But Reggie saw every part of Luke that summer, and he doesn’t regret a single moment of it.

*

**Summer 1994**

Reggie put the strap of his bass guitar over his head while Alex absentmindedly tapped out a rhythm on the snare drum. Bobby was sitting on the couch with his guitar in his lap. Band practice was supposed to have started five minutes ago, but they weren’t worried about Luke being late - he always showed up eventually. He was the only one without a car, so he had to ride his bike all the way to the garage. Reggie had offered to pick him up before, but Luke usually turned down the offer. Reggie got the feeling he didn’t want his parents to know who he spent time with. 

Luke’s voice pulled Reggie out of his musings. He was talking before he even stepped inside the garage. “Guys! I’ve been thinking we should go on a road trip! We could play gigs along the way. Plus, band bonding!”

“Isn’t that what practice is for?” Bobby said without looking up from his guitar.

Reggie raised an eyebrow at Bobby, but he didn’t say anything to him. Because Bobby was one year older than them, sometimes he talked like he was infinitely cooler than they were. 

Luckily Alex spoke up and smoothed things over. Of the two of them, he was much better at being patient with people. “What he means to say is, we need some more details.” 

“I…” Luke faltered for a second but he looked over at Reggie with pleading eyes. Reggie hadn’t said a word yet, but that was mostly because he didn’t know if being locked in a car for hours with the object of his sexual confusion right next to him was the best idea. He couldn’t leave Luke hanging, though.

“I think it’s a good idea?” Reggie smiled weakly.

Luke clapped his hands and threw his backpack on the couch. “It’ll be great. We can stop at bars and clubs down in San Diego, and then maybe go back North? Check out some open mics. We can rock out all summer.” 

Reggie looked over at Bobby and Alex, who both looked more enthusiastic about the whole thing. 

“Okay, this whole plan is growing on me,” Alex said. 

“We have plenty of songs to play,” Bobby pointed out.

Luke turned his smile on Reggie and very pointedly raised an eyebrow, like he was waiting for Reggie to speak. 

Reggie could guess what that look was about. Since Luke didn’t have a car, someone was going to have to offer up theirs. And Reggie’s mom let him drive her minivan all the time. His parents hardly cared how he spent his time, so it would be an easy sell.

“So I guess I’ll drive?” Reggie offered. 

Luke whooped. “It’ll be an adventure!” 

“It’ll be something,” Reggie grumbled under his breath. But he was smiling already. If the whole band was going, it probably wouldn’t be so bad. He would be too busy rehearsing and playing gigs to do something embarrassing like stare at Luke for an inappropriate amount of time.

*

**Present Day**

Once they get to the hotel, Ray goes to check into his own room and Flynn and Julie show them to their suite. Honestly Reggie had no idea what a “suite” was until Julie used the key card to get inside.

There is one massive bed in front of a living area with a very fancy flatscreen television, plus a fridge and kitchenette. There’s a wall partition with another huge bed against the far side of the room. The room seems modern and well-lit and Reggie feels instantly way out of his league in the best way possible.

“Okay, what’ll get everyone in the pre-show mood?” Flynn asks as she picks up the remote. 

Julie abandons her suitcase to flop onto the huge king-sized mattress. 

“Too bad we don’t have any of my old CDs,” Luke says sadly. “We should keep our energy up.”

Julie immediately sits up and pulls out her cell phone. “Name a song, any song.”

“Whatta Man by Salt-N-Pepa,” Luke says without even thinking. 

Alex raises an eyebrow at him and smiles, like he’s about to comment on the song choice but he decides against it. 

_Whatta Man_ always reminds Reggie of a very particular memory. He would bet money that Luke and Alex remember that day too, when they were all driving together, tired and desperate for that big break. The song changed their mood, changed their outlook, and Reggie thinks it even changed the trajectory of the whole summer. 

“It was one of the most popular songs of 1993!” Luke says defensively.

“Right,” Alex says, unconvinced. 

The song starts playing seemingly out of thin air, which doesn’t make any sense. Reggie whips around to look at Julie with wide eyes, and she’s grinning like a loon. Reggie glances over at Luke and Alex, who both look just as surprised as Reggie.

“What?” Flynn asks. She must notice the way Julie is looking at Luke and Alex, who are still gaping like fishes.

“The guys have never experienced Spotify or Bluetooth before,” she says, clearly amused. 

“Oooooh.” And then Flynn is laughing so hard she doubles over. It doesn’t take long for Julie to start laughing too.

Reggie has no idea what Spotify or Bluetooth are, but the song makes him want to do something crazy. He jumps up on the bed, flails his arms, and gyrates his hips just to get Luke to laugh. It works. 

It isn’t long before they’re all dancing in their hotel suite. Reggie stays up on the bed, and Luke stays down on the ground by the television, and Reggie feels an ache bloom in his chest. Right then, he wishes it was 1994. Listening to this song is the closest thing Luke is going to get to a time machine, though. Reggie can’t take his eyes off Luke, hoping that he’s not alone in his nostalgia. He can’t tell if Luke notices.

*

**Summer 1994**

They stopped at three bars, and were promptly kicked out of all three of them. 

“Damn, this blows,” Luke said with a sigh as they all climbed back in the van. 

“I think we should just camp out tonight. It’s already late,” Reggie said as he glances at the glowing numbers on the dash. 

“Yeah, today is a wash,” Bobby said with a groan. 

“I’m sorry guys, maybe this idea sucked.” Luke hunched down in the passenger seat and crossed his arms. No one said anything in reply. Reggie had the urge to reach across the center console and touch Luke’s knee, but he flicked on the radio instead. 

Salt-N-Pepa immediately filled the car, and Reggie grinned. This was the kind of song that made him want to dance.

“This is my jam!” Alex exclaimed. 

He glanced in the rear view mirror to see Alex and Bobby bobbing their heads to the music. There was no way they were going to be able to stay grumpy.

“C’mon Luke, we’ll be fine,” Reggie shouted over the music. He put the pedal to the metal, and belted out the lyrics.

He glanced over, and Luke still had his arms crossed. Reggie put the van into fourth gear and then leaned over like he’d wanted to before. He squeezed Luke’s leg, just above his thigh. 

Luke finally looked over at him, and the side of his mouth quirked up. 

“Whatta man whatta man!” Reggie sang. Luke rolled his eyes but uncrossed his arms just in time to belt out the rest of the chorus.

Reggie let his hand linger on Luke’s leg for a moment longer, and sang even louder. He felt Luke’s eyes on him while he drove, and it sent shivers up Reggie’s spine. He nearly drove the car into the divider a few times, but he managed to stay focused long enough to find a place to pull off the road.

Reggie drove the van as close to the beach as he could, and Luke started a bonfire in an open fire pit on the sand. They kept the van running so they could blast the radio, and they sat around the fire, counting stars and jamming most of the night. 

Alex eventually knocked out in the reclined front seat, and Bobby spread out in the backseat in his sleeping bag, which just left Reggie and Luke. 

Reggie leaned back with his blanket around his shoulders to take it all in. The soothing rhythm of the waves crashing against the beach sort of reminded Reggie of Alex’s drumming. Stars twinkled above them, and Reggie felt like there was nowhere else he’d rather be.

Reggie glanced over at Luke, sitting next to him on an abandoned log. Luke had his notebook in his lap, and he’d occasionally jot something down. He had to push his hair out of his face every time he started to write, and when he was done he’d tuck the pencil behind his ear. He had his lips pursed and his eyebrows knitted together, a solemn expression on his face.

“How’re you doing?” Reggie asked softly.

Luke stopped writing in order to look over at Reggie with a far away look in his eyes. 

“I’m just worried. I don’t want us to become has-beens before we even really get going,” Luke admitted. “And I feel like everyone is over this trip already.”

Reggie shook his head and looked out at the ocean. “Bobby and Alex would say so if they were done. And even though we’ve been kicked out of every place we’ve been to so far, I’m not worried yet. You wanna know why?”

When Reggie turned his head back to him, Luke was leaning in so close that Reggie could have kissed him. Reggie’s eyes flicked down to Luke’s lips as soon as the thought crossed his mind. 

“Let me hear this reasoning of yours,” Luke said with a flick of his wrist and a teasing smile.

“Because. You’re you. As soon as you hit a stage, a _real_ stage, no one will be able to resist.” 

“No one, huh?” Luke joked as he jostled his shoulder against Reggie’s. His skin felt tight and itchy, and he wanted to reach out and touch even more than he had in the van. 

“Oh yeah, dude. Star power, for sure.” Reggie meant to play it off like a joke, but his voice came out sounding as breathless as if he’d just finished playing a whole show.

“What about you?” Luke ducked his head down to avoid eye contact, but his voice was confident. “Can you resist?” 

Reggie rolled his eyes. Luke always was a helpless flirt, which really didn’t help Reggie’s libido one bit. “Don’t fuck with me, Patterson.” 

“I’m not,” Luke insisted,his voice serious. Much to Reggie’s surprise, Luke leaned in the rest of the way and kissed Reggie on the mouth. 

Luke's lips were soft, and just a bit salty from the ocean breeze. He kissed gently at first, like he didn’t want to press too hard. His hand came up to cup Reggie’s cheek, and Reggie felt warmth flood through him. 

Reggie kept perfectly still, his body a little slow on the uptake. It wasn’t his first kiss, but it was his first kiss with a guy. And if he had ever thought this was even remotely a possibility, he would have definitely asked Alex for advice before this moment.

“Oh my god,” Reggie groaned against Luke’s mouth. He couldn’t help it. 

“It’s okay,” Luke mumbled. And then he abruptly pulled back. “Wait, it’s okay right?” 

“Yeah,” Reggie said hastily. “I just wasn’t prepared.” 

He grabbed for Luke’s jacket, his fingers gripping tight as he pursued Luke’s lips again. Luke groaned against his mouth, and then the kiss took a very sudden left turn into much more filthy territory. 

Reggie’s blanket fell from his shoulders as he tilted his head and swept his tongue into Luke’s mouth. Luke answered in kind, and then Reggie used his hands to keep Luke as close as he could get him. 

His brain wasn’t comprehending anything beyond the wet slide of Luke’s tongue and the steady warmth of his fingers on Reggie’s cheek.

When Reggie came up for air, Luke was gasping just as much as he was. 

“This is how we should always do band bonding,” Reggie joked to break the silence.

“Shut up,” Luke shot back. He pushed Reggie so hard he toppled off the back of the log. 

“Hey!” Reggie said as his butt hit the soft sand. The sounds of the waves crashing and Luke’s soft laughter were like music to Reggie’s ears.

Reggie stood up to dust the sand off the seat of his pants. When he looked up, Luke was watching him with his bottom lip between his teeth.

“Is there enough of that blanket to share?” Luke asked, his voice quiet. 

“For sure.” Reggie was grateful for something to do, because he could feel how fast his heart was beating. He worried that if he stood still too long, it might vibrate right out of his chest. He shook out the blanket and spread it out on the sand.

They laid on their backs next to each other without touching for a breath, and then Luke turned onto his side and threw his arm across Reggie’s chest. Reggie breathed in the clean scent of Luke’s shampoo and gently rested his hand on top of Luke’s forearm, pulling the blanket around them both. 

Reggie thanked his lucky stars for such a beautiful night.

*

**Present Day**

Reggie watches as Julie heads for the stage. He’s got his bass guitar in hand, and he feels so _alive_ even though he doesn’t feel his own heartbeat.

It’s difficult to just be dropped into the middle of a show. He has to show up with all of the energy and finesse as if he’d had a full day of rehearsal and sound checks. But at this point, he’s more used to it than when they first started this whole ghost band thing. 

Flynn has already told them it’s going to be a packed house, which makes Reggie both nervous and ridiculously excited. He sort of wishes his parents could see him now. If they were amongst the crowd out there, they would be able to experience the positive energy - the _happiness_ \- that he brings to people who can feel his music. They’d understand why he’s passionate about music, and why he loves this band. He doesn’t actually know what they’re up to now, but that’s mostly because he’s afraid to find out. Either they’re worse off now because of what Reggie’s death did to them, or they’re better off now that Reggie isn’t in their lives, and both of those options sound terrible. He shakes the thought of them from his mind. He has work to do.

To really get into the pre-show mood, to really feel ready to take the stage, Reggie falls back on old habits. He watches Luke jumping up and down and shaking out his hands. His hair is fluffy without product in it, and his cheeks are already flushed pink from excitement. He won’t stop moving, like he’s going to burst right out of his skin. His enthusiasm is contagious. Reggie starts running in place and rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

Reggie has to be ready to perform. He has to be ready to deliver 110% and leave it all on the stage, because he knows Luke, and Alex, and Julie are going to. He owes it to all of them.

But he also wants to impress the hell out of Luke. If Luke comes away happy, he knows he’s done a good job. And Reggie craves that validation. 

As soon as Julie starts playing on the piano onstage, Luke steps closer. Alex and Reggie dutifully complete the circle on either side of him. Luke puts one hand on Reggie’s shoulder and one hand on Alex’s shoulder, and he looks at each of them with wide eyes.

“You boys ready?” Luke asks. Reggie can feel how bad Luke's hand is shaking, even through the leather jacket. 

Reggie can just make out the muffled sounds of the crowd, waiting just on the other side of the curtain, enraptured by Julie’s voice. He’s ready to give them a night they won’t forget. 

“Let’s do it!” Alex and Reggie yell in unison. 

He concentrates on the stage, and then there’s a weird, swooping feeling in his stomach telling him he's about to teleport. The rush he gets from the unconventional transportation is not that much different from the rush he gets when he kisses Luke. Alex and Luke are gone in a blink, but not before Luke winks at Reggie. 

Reggie wooshes away to join them onstage a moment later. He sings into the mic, his fingers play the chords from muscle memory, and he looks out at the huge crowd. There’s so many people that he can’t even see the back of the room. A bunch of them are belting out their lyrics, and Reggie is grinning so hard his cheeks hurt.

It makes him think of that saying, about people only listening to you after you’re dead. Except he’s lucky - he died and he still gets to reap the reward of the crowd spread out in front of him. Even death couldn’t stop Sunset Curve.

*

**Summer 1994**

They finally landed a gig on day four of the trip. It was just a grungy club that clearly did not care about serving under-aged teens, but they had a big stage and pretty decent amps. It was a Thursday night, which wasn’t a weekend but it was the next best thing. Maybe they’d capitalize on a crowd that was too restless to stay home on a school night at 10 pm.

Luke had them huddle up before the show and they put their arms around each other. Reggie felt the way Luke’s warm fingers wrapped tightly around his shoulder, and he exhaled sharply. Luke was vibrating with energy and his smile was almost manic. 

“Okay guys, let’s rock this place!” 

“Yeah!” The rest of them shouted back. 

Then Luke grabbed his guitar and put the strap over his head as he made for the stage. Reggie followed suit, and Alex climbed onto his stool behind the drums.

There wasn’t much fanfare when they hit the stage, just a few smatterings of applause. But that didn’t deter them. The energy onstage was palpable, and Reggie didn’t miss a single cue. Bobby and Luke’s guitar riffs ignited the crowd, and it was amazing to feel the vibe in the room completely change. 

People were clapping and dancing and cheering and Reggie’s heart beat faster and faster. It was like the crowd’s energy was feeding him, urging him on. He couldn’t stand still any more. All that energy had to go somewhere. 

He strutted across the stage with a cord trailing behind him. He was drawn to Luke like a magnet. Luke was singing like it was effortless, getting the crowd to clap along with him as he flashed a grin and shook his hair. Reggie could practically hear girls in the crowd swooning.

But then they were suddenly a few words away from the chorus, and there was no way Reggie was going to make it back to his own mic in time.

Reggie looked up at Luke in a panic. He’d lost focus, which is something that never seemed to happen to any of the other guys. He didn’t want to be the one to mess up the show. 

Luke’s smile didn’t falter. Instead, he beckoned Reggie forward with his hand. Then Luke grabbed onto his mic stand and turned to face Reggie, like they’d planned it. Reggie stepped in as close as he could and belted the chorus right on cue.

Luke’s hair was already plastered to his forehead with sweat, and his face was glowing. His eyes were bright and alive and focused completely on Reggie.

Reggie wondered if Luke was remembering their make-out session the previous night. It was all Reggie could think about, with Luke’s lips so close to his. His whole body tingled, and he knew he was off-pitch just a little, but mercifully the chorus came to an end and he started to return to his side of the stage.

Before he could, Luke grabbed his leather jacket and held him in place. He was still singing, but he raised an eyebrow, as if daring Reggie to pull away.

Reggie could hear the crowd going wild, but the sounds were distorted by all of the blood pounding in his ears. He had to work hard to stay focused on the song. It wasn’t until Bobby started in on his guitar solo that Luke let him go. 

Reggie gazed at Luke, who had already turned his attention back to the crowd. Time stood still, and he felt adrift, almost like he was a second away from free falling. He dutifully walked away, but it was too late. He was completely and totally hooked on that feeling.

Reggie felt his chest swell with pride as all four of them played louder and better than they’d ever played before. 

His gaze kept falling on Luke as he moved around the stage, engaging the crowd and belting his heart out. And then Luke strutted over to Reggie’s mic stand and put his arm around Reggie’s shoulders. Reggie leaned into him, and Luke supported his weight, and they didn’t miss a beat.

The crowd screamed and sang along with them, and all of a sudden, making it big actually seemed _possible_. Luke was a superstar, just like Reggie already knew, but now other people were noticing it too. With Luke’s solid weight pressed against him, Reggie hoped he could keep a hold of Luke, too, even though he glowed brighter than any of them. 

Reggie was determined to see it through either way.

*

**Present Day**

_Stand Tall_ is the last song on their set list, and it's also one of Reggie’s favorite songs to perform, because it always brings the house down.

They’re almost to the part where he and Luke share Luke's mic. Reggie walks over towards Luke to take his spot. For once he doesn’t overthink it. He leans forward with confidence, until his lips touch Luke’s mic. Luke leans in too, but then again he’s never been the one to hesitate. 

The mic is the only thing between them. The crowd makes a distant swell of noise, but Reggie is focused on Luke’s eyes. They give everything away. Luke is having the time of his life, just like he does every time they’re on stage. But it’s intoxicating to have all that joy focused on him, even if only for a brief moment. Reggie soaks it up while he sings, wondering if his eyes are giving him away, too. It might not be actual adrenaline rushing through him now that he’s dead, but the intoxicating feeling that surrounds him is the same one he’d felt when he was alive.

Coming back to life and learning how to touch Luke again had been stilted and awkward. There hadn’t been much time for make-outs or anything else. But this part, being on stage together again, had been easy. Even if they can’t put a name to this _thing_ they have, Reggie’s grateful to take whatever Luke wants to give him.

The crowd screams and Reggie grins as he leaves Luke and returns to his own mic. He plays his heart out as he watches Luke strut across the stage towards Julie. 

Reggie lets himself get lost in the song as he turns his focus back to the crowd. He’s right where he belongs, somewhere just on the outside of Luke’s brightness.


End file.
